Novak Djokovic Slams Media For ‘Publicly Lynching’ Him After Leaving Tennis Match To Use The Bathroom

Tennis star Novak Djokovic blasted the media for shaming him after he went to the bathroom without appearing to get permission from the chair umpire.

In his first-round match against Spaniard Caraballes Baena on Tuesday, Djokovic asked to use the bathroom when the fifth game ended. After he told chair umpire Aurelie Tourte he needed to use the restroom, he jogged toward the tunnel, but the official did not give him the okay to use the bathroom. A security guard ran after him, but Djokovic ignored him and went right by him.

“He needs to go to the toilet? After five games?” commentator John Fitzgerald demanded.

“Well, I think he’s actually just pulled rank there as well,” former Australian Tennis star Mark Woodforde added. “I think the official was trying to pull him back.”

Eurosport posted a now-deleted Instagram video of the incident with a caption that said:

“Novak Djokovic defied the umpire to take an early bathroom break in his first match at the Australian Open (eyes emoji).”

Djokovic defended himself in a since-deleted Instagram story and wrote:

Chair umpire allowed me to go to the toilet but she told me I don’t have toilet break, just change over break. So she told me (you don’t capture that with camera) I had to hurry up. When I almost exited the court, she called me (I didn’t hear) and it was to tell me that toilet was on the opposite side of court.

After his match second-round match victory against Frenchman Enzo Couacaud, which also saw him yell at an umpire for not booting out fans who heckled him, Djokovic met with the media and demanded an apology from tennis’ governing bodies.

Again, I am publicly asking a question: why didn’t the ATP or the Grand Slam come out and explain the situation, when they can see that the media are publicly lynching me? This has been happening continuously, there have been many situations like this one, but in the end nothing, it’s all the same. At the end of the day, if we are members of this Tour, surely there has to be some responsibility towards the players, some sort of protection. But no, “you do what you want and roast him as much as you want in media, while we remain silent.”

Watch the incident above via Wide World of Sports.